


can't do this alone

by foundyourheart



Series: tumblr fics [2]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: F/M, Fluff, Friendship, Pack Bonding, Pack Feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-03-19
Updated: 2021-03-19
Packaged: 2021-03-28 13:07:55
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,059
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/30140025
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/foundyourheart/pseuds/foundyourheart
Summary: Boyd + pack feels
Relationships: Vernon Boyd/Erica Reyes
Series: tumblr fics [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2215326
Comments: 8
Kudos: 15





	can't do this alone

**Author's Note:**

  * For [SingleDogRadio](https://archiveofourown.org/users/SingleDogRadio/gifts).



> originally posted on [tumblr](https://foundyourheart.tumblr.com/post/646103160401870848/boyd-knows-one-thing-he-is-not-part-of-the-friend)

Boyd knows one thing: he is not part of the friend group like everyone else is. And he's okay with that, for the most part. It doesn't bother him that everyone else gets along better or knows each other's secrets. Boyd has company, and that's all he can ask for.

When Erica walks up to him, sashaying in her tight leopard print dress, Boyd expects a familiar greeting and a brush off. It doesn't matter that Boyd has a huge crush on Erica; she'll never feel the same way for him.

"Hey, handsome," she says, swinging down into the seat across from him. Her eyes sparkle with mischief and he wonders what she's been up to now.

"Hey, beautiful," Boyd responds easily. Flirting with Erica is like second nature to him. Getting her to actually _notice_ him is harder. "I ordered your favourite."

Erica squeals in delight. "Thank you."

They've been coming to Mama's Bakery on their own ever since they were assigned a Chemistry project together. Erica's close with the owner, who goes only by Mama, and they spent their first afternoon together baking in the back. Boyd hadn't felt like there was pressure to be _on_ when he was around Erica. She seems to accept him as is.

"I'm sorry I'm a little late," Erica says. "I was caught up talking to Stilinski. You know how he never shuts up."

Boyd laughs.

"Anyway, he wanted to join us, but I told him that Mama's is our thing." Erica reaches over and takes a sip of his drink. She always does, without asking, and without knowing exactly what Boyd has ordered. "He pouted and then Danny got involved, and it was a whole Thing."

"He could've came. I don't mind your friends hanging out with us," Boyd says, reaching over to take a bite of her cheesecake.

"Our friends, Vernon," Erica says, meeting his eyes. "Our friends."

"Sure," Boyd says, but the smile doesn't reach his eyes.

**&.**

Boyd bumps into Kira at the movie theatre. Normally, he’d avoid her and duck out, but something tells him she needs someone to talk to, so he heads over.

“Hey,” he says, pausing to check her face. Her eyes are red and puffy. “You okay?”

“Boy, am I glad to see a friendly face,” Kira says, before launching herself into his arms. “Scott broke up with me and I didn’t want to waste my ticket to the movie but the movie made me cry and—and—”

“I’m sorry to hear about Scott." Boyd wraps an arm around her shoulders. "Want to get out of here?"

"Please," she whispers.

They end up walking down the street to the nearest 50s-esque diner, Fancy's. They settle into a booth across from each other and Boyd flags down the waiter.

"Can we get two chocolate peanut butter banana milkshakes?"

"Coming right up," the waitress says.

Kira sniffs. "Thanks. That's nice."

"Who said one was for you?" Boyd teases, surprising himself. Kira laughs now and sticks out her tongue. "I'm kidding. So, want to talk about it?"

"Boy, do I ever."

Boyd settles in, ready for the long-winded rant from Kira. He's not expecting to laugh as much as he does, or for the loud slurp from Kira, or the big hug he gets when he drops her off at her apartment.

**&.**

It's a Tuesday evening when Boyd gets a text from Jackson. Boyd figures it's about tutoring him in statistics, but he's surprised when it reads: _yo, boys' night at the hale house tonight._

Boyd thinks it's nice that he's been invited. It's likely an afterthought, but he doesn't mind. He shoves some clothes into a backpack, along with some beer so he doesn't take from anyone else, and heads over around eight.

"Where the hell have you been?" Stiles shouts when he knocks on the front door. "Everyone's been here since seven or so!"

"Oh, uh," Boyd stammers.

"It's my fault. I forgot to send the time," Jackson says, motioning for Boyd to come in. "We're about to watch _Legally Blonde._ "

"Okay." Boyd doesn't care why they settled on _Legally Blonde_. "Thanks for having me."

"Duh." This comes from Scott.

Boyd enters the living room, settling down on the floor beside Jackson, and takes a deep breath. Scott, Stiles, Danny, and Derek are on the couch. Isaac is curled up on the chair beside the couch. And he's on the floor with Jackson. It's a busy night, that's for sure.

"The rules are," Jackson says, in a hushed tone, "that you drink every time Elle Woods does something feminist."

"That's--" Boyd starts.

"The whole movie? Yeah. Prepared to be _drunk._ " Jackson nudges him. "Sorry about the late invite. It was sort of an impromptu thing."

"We were informed that the girls were doing a girls' night so," Scott says, as if this explains everything.

Boyd smiles, and doesn't mind the late invite in the slightest. He settles in, and drinks every time Stiles shouts, "Drink!"

By the end of the night, he's riding a really nice buzz, and he's surprised to find a bed made up just for him.

"How did you know I was even coming?" he asks, slurring slightly.

Derek puts a hand on his shoulder. "You're always invited here."

Boyd doesn't have the mental headspace right now to sort out what _that_ means, but it makes him feel warm and fuzzy. So, he settles down in the bed that's been made up just for him, and smiles into sleep.

**&.**

"Where on earth have you been?"

Boyd looks up and motions for Erica to lower her voice. She doesn't, but he didn't really expect her to. She sits down beside him, brushing her finger tips against his cheek.

"I've missed you."

"Been busy." Which isn't a lie. He _has_ been busy. He's helping Derek coach the boys' lacrosse games on Tuesdays after class, translating some Latin text with Stiles on Wednesday mornings, coffee with Kira on Thursday afternoons, and on Fridays, he's been invited to more boys' nights.

"Did you miss me?" Erica asks, pouting with her bright red lips.

Boyd laughs, reaching for her and tugging her onto his lap. It's a bold move for him, but it feels right. "Of course, I did."

"Good." Erica flashes him her million-dollar smile. "So, handsome, when are you ever going to ask me out?"

Boyd's surprised. Not at her boldness, but at her curious expression. She doesn't seem mad that he hasn't officially asked her out, and she doesn't even seem phased by the fact that he has a crush on her either.

"Soon," he murmurs. He places a kiss on her cheek and smiles. "The timing isn't right."

"No?" Erica asks, pouting again. "Too bad. I was hoping we could get into some trouble this weekend."

Boyd laughs, a bit too loud for the library, but Erica's smile is worth it. He tugs her in a little closer and embraces the moment for what it is.

**&.**

"I don't think you know what you want," Lydia says, her tone dry. She looks over at Boyd, meeting his eyes. "Do you think Ally A knows what she wants?"

Boyd shrugs, hoping that'll be the end of _that._ He doesn't want to get too involved in this conversation. Lydia had invited him over because she wants to dress him properly for his date with Erica. The date he hasn't quite asked her on yet.

He wasn't expecting Allison, Laura, and Cora to be here too.

"I don't know!" Allison says, flopping onto the bed. "That's the problem, Lydia."

"I think you're torn between Scott and Isaac," Laura says, looking at Allison over her freshly painted nails, "because you and Scott have a history."

"We do."

"But Isaac also likes Scott, and he doesn't want to hurt his best friend, and ahhhhhh." Allison buries her face into a pillow.

"I think this shirt works best," Lydia announces when Boyd's changed into his new shirt. She tugs at it in places and nods. "You look good."

"Thanks," he murmurs. He glances at Allison and says, "Has it ever occurred to you that Scott and Isaac might be open to a polyamorous situation?"

Allison brings the pillow down. "No."

"Well, it _does_ seem like they like each other too," Cora says, jumping on the train of thought for Boyd. She sits up straight, suddenly invested. "Oh my god, I think Boyd's right!"

"I'll--I'll have to ask," Allison says, but he notices that the stress isn't quite gone from her shoulders just yet.

**&.**

Boyd doesn't really understand how he's fallen into the pattern that he has until his sister, Alicia, points out that he's always busy one Sunday afternoon.

"These new friends of yours have taken up _all_ your time," she complains. But she lifts her hand to shield her eyes from the sun and looks at him. "It's actually kind of nice. But I miss you, dammit."

"They're not really friends," Boyd argues. "I'm not, like, _one_ of them."

"Ha. You're wrong there."

Boyd and Alicia move onto other conversation topics, but this one sticks in his mind. All the way until he texts Erica later that night.

**Boyd:** do I have friends? **Erica:** dude, you have SO many friends, what are you talking about?

She waits all of thirty seconds before calling him. "What kind of question is that?"

"It's just..." Boyd frowns. "I had this idea of myself, you know. I'm a loner. A lone wolf. Someone who doesn't... I don't know. Make friends."

"Well, honey, that hasn't been true for months now." Erica chuckles a little before adding, "How does it feel?"

"Good." Boyd thinks about it a moment longer. "Better, actually. I like hanging out with you and your friends."

"Our friends," Erica corrects.

"Our friends," Boyd admits. He smiles broadly. "Hey, Erica?"

"Yeah?"

"Want to go out on Friday? On an official first date?"

"Are you skipping boys' night for me?"

"Yeah."

"Well, it's hard to say no to that." Erica's smiling. He can feel it. "Sure, Vernon. I'd love to go on a date with you. I thought you'd never ask."

"I can't believe you didn't get tired of waiting," Boyd admits, looking down.

"Trust me," Erica whispers onto the phone. "You're worth waiting for."

**&.**

"I knew it!" Lydia says, clapping her hands together. "This really is the outfit for you tonight."

"Thanks," Boyd says, grinning. He does a little spin, feeling a little wilder than usual. "How does it look?"

"So, so good," Kira says. "But can I suggest something?"

"Hmm?"

"Don't wait until the end of the night to kiss her. That's when she'll be expecting it. Kiss her before then. She'll be on the moon all night long, instead of anxiously anticipating it." Kira adjusts Boyd's bowtie.

"I love that advice," Cora says, nodding.

"And don't forget to ask her lots of questions," Laura points out. "Girls like when you show interest."

"I know how to date," Boyd murmurs.

"You didn't even know you had friends until someone told you," Allison counters. "I think it's fair to assume dating is new to you too."

"Wow. Never going to let me live it down?"

"Never," Lydia promises. She kisses his cheek, and then smudges her lipstick off him. "You're going to nail this date."

Boyd smiles.

Even if he doesn't nail the date, he's going to be okay. Not only does he have each one of these incredible women as his friends, but he has a whole gang of guys who are waiting outside on the porch drinking. When he leaves the house, it's to a bunch of cat calls and whistles.

Boyd drives to pick up Erica at her apartment above Mama's Bakery. When she gets into the car, he leans over and kisses her without a word.

"Oh!" Erica grins. "I like this bold side of you, Vernon."

"I like you, Erica. I have since we met. You're a force to be reckon with, and I love it." Boyd holds out his hand. "I just wanted some company from time to time, but thanks to you, I have a whole social circle of friends."

"And...?"

"And a girlfriend. If you'll have me."

Erica grins. It's almost wolfish. "Oh, trust me, I plan on having you. _All_ of you."

He laughs, and for the night, everything feels alright.

**Author's Note:**

> find me on tumblr at [foundyourheart](http://foundyourheart.tumblr.com)


End file.
